Death of rivers will lead to death of our cities

Slowly gobbling up the river. Sand traders of the booming construction sector fill up the river Turag, wiping out the river's foreshore, shore, and the channel. There is no authority to check these river killers. Photo: Anisur Rahman

By Mahfuz Anam

It would not be an exaggeration to state that encroachment and pollution of the five rivers surrounding the capital now threaten the very existence of Dhaka city, and with it jeopardise the future of our economy. We would like to draw a direct link between the country's growth prospect and livability of the capital city, which in its turn is directly linked with the existence of the rivers that surround it. Dhaka already has a population that makes its one of the most crowded metropolis in the world. In not to distant a future it will become one of the biggest mega-cities in the world. Fresh water supply will be a crucial issue for such a city and failing to provide it will lead to intense civic unrest and related social instability. No investment, both domestic and foreign, is likely to occur in cities or areas where fresh water supply cannot be guaranteed.

Not only of Dhaka city, but rivers around the country are being filled up or being encroached upon in a manner that is threatening the very existence of human habitation. Very soon, the land grabbers will have gobbled up most of the rivers leaving a barren country greatly increasing the impact of flooding in the wet season and increasing the possibility of desertification of specific areas during the dry season.

Hidden behind the issue of saving our rivers is the concern of supply of fresh water for drinking, cooking and normal livelihood needs that relate to public health issues. According to reports, 80 percent people suffer from jaundice, skin diseases or diarrhoea in the watershed areas.

As rivers around Dhaka got polluted we became more and more dependent on ground water as a source of drinking water. It is reported that presently 86 percent of WASA's drinking water comes from ground water. Due to widespread urbanisation the replenishment of the ground water is not occurring as before as a result of which the ground water level is falling between 1-3 metres every year.

It is our view that the destruction of rivers in Bangladesh, especially those surrounding Dhaka city, has reached a stage so as to pose a threat to our nation's future and as such should be treated a national security concern.

Now is the time for all of us, the public in general, the government, political parties, professional bodies and the civil society to work together to save our rivers, and thus save ourselves.

Daily Star